Molly jumped into his arms. The smile on her face assured him that she wasn’t hurt as he’d feared. “Papa! Did you see me? I did what you said!”
He hugged her close. Did she think he was John? Had the terror of the day addled her mind? Jake pulled her back and kissed her forehead. Slowly he turned to where he knew Leah would be waiting beside the building.
She hadn’t listened to him. Leah stood watching them come toward her. A smile touched her pretty lips. Hair hung about her shoulders and she looked tired, yet happy.
Then her expression changed to horror. “Jake, get down!”
He instinctively did as she screamed.
Not so Leah. Jake watched as she gasped. Her hand covered her heart. Big blue eyes widened and held his as a red stain seeped under her fingers.
“Leah!” Molly screamed.
The sound of commotion behind him couldn’t pull Jake’s eyes from the woman he loved. It all seemed to be happening in slow motion. She glanced down at the blood on her hand. Then Leah dropped to her knees. Her eyes returned to his and she offered a weak smile. “I should have listened to you,” she said, then fell forward.
He caught her just before she hit the ground. Jake turned her over slowly. Her pretty eyes were closed now and he feared the worse.
The Indian woman knelt beside him. She jerked open Leah’s coat and dress revealing a bullet hole in her left shoulder. Next she cut the hem of her dress and used the fur to press against the gaping wound. Her soulful eyes met his, and he felt the dull ache of foreboding.
The Indian woman’s husband stood behind her. He held both Molly and his son’s hands within his own, but he tipped his head at Jake. “My name is Gray Hills. This is my woman, Nightfall, and my son, Soaring Eagle. The evil man and woman are inside. Take your woman to the medicine man.”
The woman nodded her agreement.
Tears spilled down Molly’s cheeks. Jake felt his composure slip. The two most precious people in his life needed him in different ways. He had to choose which one needed him most at the moment. The knowledge twisted inside him.
Jake prayed Molly wouldn’t revert back to her silent world. “Molly, she’s going to be all right. Let’s take her to the doctor.”
Again Gray Hills spoke. “We will care for the little ones.” Even though his statement was firm, there was a question in his eyes.
Jake knew he’d rather Molly not see Leah like this. He nodded and lifted her in his arms. “Stay with Gray Hills, Molly. I’ll be back.” The crowd parted as Jake made his way to the doctor’s home. With each step he felt the nauseating sinking of despair. He prayed for her not to die. He felt her shudder as she drew in a deep breath. Terrible regrets assailed him. He’d never told her he loved her; now he may not get the chance.
*
The next morning, Leah awoke. She tried to push up off the mattress that seemed to be attached to her back. It proved to be difficult with her left arm in a sling.
“Lie still, Miss Hollister,” a woman’s voice said off to her right. “I’ll help you up, if that’s what you really want to do.”
Leah turned her head and saw an older woman. She’d seen her many times during the night. For a moment Leah wished the stranger was Agnes.
Her shoulder burned and her mouth felt as if someone had stuffed it with cotton balls. Leah remembered being given a bitter drink before drifting off to sleep and wondered if that was why she felt so thirsty now. Her shoulder burned and her mouth felt as if someone had stuffed it with cotton balls. “May I have a drink?”
“Of course, dear.” The woman poured water into a glass from the basin beside the table. “I’m Elsie Capshaw. I assisted my husband, Dr. Capshaw, in digging that bullet out.” She handed the glass to Leah then slid an arm under her shoulder and propped her up just slightly.
Leah remembered that when she woke up the first time it had been to excruciating pain. Several people were holding her down and the doctor was working to get the bullet out of her shoulder. She heard him say, “Got it. Good thing it wasn’t in there very deep.” Never in her life had she felt such pain. She’d passed out. Pushing the horrible thought away, Leah drank deeply from the water and then handed the glass back. “I want to sit up, please.”
“Are you sure, dear?”
Leah nodded. “Where’s Molly?” She also wanted to ask about Jake, but since they weren’t married yet, wasn’t sure it was appropriate.
Mrs. Capshaw helped Leah sit on the side of the bed. “She’s in the sitting room with Jake. I hope you don’t mind, but I loaned you one of my blouses and a skirt to replace your dress,” she said.
“Thank you. I’ll return it the first chance I get.” Leah looked longingly toward the door. All she wanted was to see that Molly was safe and for Jake to hug her and tell her everything would be fine.
“Don’t you fret none about giving it back.” She brought Leah’s borrowed boots over and slipped them onto her bare feet. “I assume you’d like to get out there with your family. The doctor says you can travel whenever you feel up to it, but he wants you to take this powder if you’re in pain. And don’t be surprised if you’re sleepy after taking it.” She handed Leah a bag with several small paper envelopes inside. “Just put it in some water and drink it down.”
Leah nodded. Her left arm still burned, but the pain wasn’t so bad. She felt sure she was still under the influence of the powders she’d taken earlier.
Mrs. Capshaw opened the door and Leah followed her out of the doctor’s office and into the waiting room where Jake and Molly sat. Jake reclined in a big fluffy chair, his eyes closed, with Molly sleeping on his lap. Both were pure delight to her eyes. She’d never wanted to hug two people more in her life.
When she’d seen Christina Watts aim the gun at Jake’s back, she’d thought both Molly and Jake were going to die. Panic such as she’d never known had welled up in her throat, almost choking her. She was thankful her scream had caused him to fall to his knees. It had all happened so fast, she couldn’t believe she’d been shot. Then she’d seen the blood on her hand and had watched Jake’s eyes widen in horror.
Right now, though, he looked at peace. Had the doctor told him she would be fine? Or did he always look so relaxed when sleeping? The line over his eyes had smoothed out and he snored softly into Molly’s hair.
The little girl opened her eyes first. Leah placed her finger over her lips and knelt down. She extended her right arm and waited for Molly to run into it.
“I was so worried,” the little girl whispered loudly as she hugged Leah tight.
She returned her hug. “I’m going to be all right,” Leah assured her.
“My turn.”
Molly stepped back and looked up at her Uncle Jake. “I was hugging her.” She pouted.
“There will be plenty of time for you to hug her later, right now I want to hug her.” Jake reached down his hand to help Leah to her feet.
Mrs. Capshaw reached out a hand for Molly. “Why don’t you and I go find a cookie to nibble on and let these two talk?”
Molly took her hand. “All right.”
As soon as the door closed behind them, Leah took his hand and allowed him to pull her up. She stepped into his embrace. Her heart sang with delight. She felt blissfully happy, fully alive. This was where she belonged. This was where she never wanted to leave. These two people were her heart, her home.
Jake pulled away from her and Leah felt disappointed. Only, he didn’t completely release her. “Leah Hollister, I love you more than you’ll ever know. Do you remember the day you were in the shop and the Perkins boy said he loved you?”
Leah nodded.
“Well, your loyalty gave me a reason to believe you would never betray me or my emotions for you.” He stopped and leaned closer so that they were eye to eye. “I want to get married in more than just name only. I want to love you forever and never let you go. God brought us together and no one will ever pull us apart. I promise.”
Leah’s heart and mind raced
. How had he known that she feared he’d leave her like her parents had? Had God given him the sense that those were the reasons she’d withheld her own confession of love?
“What do you say? Will you marry me for love?”
Tears of happiness streamed down her face. Leah nodded. She forced the word “yes,” from her tight throat.
Concern filled his face, “Are you sure? You don’t look happy.”
Leah laughed and cried at the same time. “Oh, Jake, I was so afraid you’d leave me before the wedding and I never dreamed you would love me like I love you. You’ve made me so very happy.”
When Jake gently pulled her to him again and kissed her lips, Leah knew they would be happy together. What started as a marriage of convenience, God had blessed into a marriage of love.
Epilogue
Leah stood in front of the mirror. Her pale cream-colored wedding dress flowed about her legs and feet. Thanks to Nellie, her brown hair was up in the latest style. Bright blue eyes of excitement were reflected back at her.
She couldn’t believe it was true. Today was her wedding day. After all they’d been through, it was finally going to happen.
The house had been decorated specially for a Christmas wedding. The staircase she would soon descend had streams of red, green and white garland strung down its banisters. The windows were snow kissed with frost. Each one held a single candle in its sill. A large cedar tree had been brought down from the mountains and decorated with strings of cranberries and popcorn. Jake had found red and green Christmas plants to place about the sitting room. It was perfect. It was her Christmas wedding.
“You look beautiful,” Agnes said, smoothing invisible wrinkles out of her dress.
Leah smiled. “Thank you. I feel beautiful.” She twirled around in front of the mirror.
A knock sounded on the door. “Who’s there?” Agnes demanded.
Mr. Frontz’s voice came through the wood. “It’s time to start, ladies.”
Agnes opened the door and allowed her husband inside. “I thought Nellie was going to come up and get us.”
“She’s too busy bossing the men around downstairs,” he answered, taking in Leah’s reflection in the mirror. “You look wonderful. Almost as pretty as Agnes on our wedding day.”
Mr. Frontz cleared his throat. “I’ll walk the missus down and wait for you at the bottom of the stairs,” he said, never taking his eyes off his wife’s face.
“Thank you.” Leah watched them leave.
Mr. Frontz pulled the door shut behind them, leaving her in silence. Leah closed her eyes and prayed that God would bless her marriage to Jake. Jake’s actions had expressed his love for her more in the past week than anyone else’s had in her entire life. He stayed by her side as much as he possibly could, tried to wait on her hand and foot and took care of Molly, allowing Leah time to heal from her gunshot wound. He’d done even more by getting flowers and the tree to the house in the few short days before the wedding.
Molly slipped into the room. “Leah, everyone is waiting.”
The little girl, her reason for searching out Jake, stood before her wearing a pretty red-and-white dress. Her hair was pulled up and small ringlets framed her face.
Leah loved her. She still couldn’t believe that soon they would be family. A real family. “I know, Molly. I was just thinking about how pretty everything looks downstairs.”
Molly walked across the room and took her hand. “You should see Uncle Jake. He’s dressed in a real suit.”
“He is?” Leah hadn’t expected Jake to dress in a suit. At the thought of how handsome her soon-to-be husband must look in a suit, she grabbed Molly’s hand and headed to the door.
The sound of the piano was her cue to descend the stairs.
“I’m supposed to go first and throw these flowers in front of you,” Molly said, picking up a small wicker basket that held paper flowers.
Leah nodded. She lifted her head high and tried to control her breathing. This was her big day; the day she would start her new life with Jake. Her heart pounded in her chest with joy.
*
Jake watched as a vision of beauty floated down the stairs. He’d never seen anyone look as lovely in his whole life. Leah smiled at him, and his heart beat double time. He still had a hard time believing that Leah loved him and would soon be his wife.
Little Molly passed Mr. Frontz and began tossing her paper flowers as she walked toward Jake. Jake smiled at his niece. Molly had brought Leah to him. They were a family. When she came to him, Jake felt her small hand enter his larger one but he couldn’t seem to pull his gaze from Leah.
Mr. Frontz offered his arm to Jake’s beautiful bride. She placed a lace-covered hand on his arm. Her blue eyes held Jake’s. Together Mr. Frontz and Leah walked to where he, Molly and Reverend Rice waited.
Jake gently released Molly’s hand so that Mr. Frontz could place Leah’s into his.
He only half listened to the wedding vows. His heart beat so loudly in his ears that Jake feared the others would hear it and call a stop to the wedding.
Leah’s voice was soft when she vowed to “love and to cherish, until death do us part.” She said it with such conviction that Jake’s heart felt as if it would explode.
Jake then repeated the same vows. He placed the ring upon Leah’s finger and saw that his hand trembled at the simple action. Someone cleared their throat. “You may now kiss your bride.”
Leah closed her eyes and leaned toward him. Jake reached out and touched her face before lowering his mouth to hers. She responded with the slightest movement of her lips. He wanted to deepen the kiss but was very much aware of the people around them. Reluctantly he released her.
Jake laid his forehead on hers and whispered, “I love you and I promise you will never be alone again.” She needed to hear those words from him and Jake needed to say them. He was now officially Leah’s husband. Excitement coursed through him. Without thinking or worrying about those around them, he pulled her into another kiss.
Molly whispered loudly and tugged on his coattail. “Uncle Jake, you need to stop kissing Aunt Leah. It’s time to eat cake.”
Reluctantly, Jake released his bride’s lips. Reverend Rice laughed and then announced, “I present you with Mr. and Mrs. Jake Bridges. May they forever be happy in their new love.”
*
Keep reading for an excerpt from ROCKY MOUNTAIN DREAMS by Danica Favorite.
Dear Reader,
Thank you for picking up a copy of A Pony Express Christmas. The pony express has always fascinated me. I used actual places and people in this book. Julesburg, Colorado, has moved three times since the pony express and was known as a rowdy town and was a pony express home station. South Platte was a relay station but for the purposes of this book, I made it into a home station, too. Jack Slade and Jules Beni were real people who lived around Julesburg and their history together is very interesting.
I hope you enjoyed reading Jake and Leah’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Feel free to visit me on my website and blog at www.rhondagibson.net.
Warmly,
Rhonda Gibson
Questions for Discussion
Leah took Molly to her uncle. Would you have done the same?
How do you think Leah’s life would have been different if Thomas Harris had lived?
Have you ever been so grief-stricken that you haven’t been able to talk? Or known anyone that has been that way? If it was you, what brought you out of such grief?
When Leah arrived in South Platte she didn’t believe anyone could love her. Have you ever felt that way? Do you have any friends (as opposed to family members) who have made you feel loved?
Jake was dealing with distrust because his brother married his fiancée. Have you ever felt a deep hurt similar to his that has changed your life?
It took Jake a long time to realize that his brother and fiancée hadn’t meant to hurt him. Have you ever thought someone hurt you on p
urpose and then discovered that wasn’t their intention? How did you react to that realization?
Jake had to realize that Leah wouldn’t break his heart. He did that by overhearing her tell someone else her true feelings regarding him. Have you ever overheard someone talking positively about you? How did it make you feel?
Molly and Leah were both orphans. Have you ever adopted someone into your family?
Do you have people in your life who feel like family but aren’t blood relations? If so, who are they? And what makes them so special?
Which character in this book did you most connect with? Why?
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired Historical title.
You find illumination in days gone by. Love Inspired Historical stories lift the spirit as heroines tackle the challenges of life in another era with hope, faith and a focus on family.
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Chapter One
1881
The soft breeze floating off the Mosquito Range made the air feel more like midsummer than early June in Leadville. Which meant Annabelle Lassiter could almost declare mud season officially over. Though today’s walk to the post office hadn’t resulted in a letter from her aunt Celeste, surely she could escape this town and its painful reminders soon.
She paused as the parsonage came into view. A man waited on the porch. Annabelle sighed. Her father’s mission to care for the miners in Leadville was wonderful, but these days, they had more hungry people showing up on their doorstep than she knew what to do with. They had food aplenty, but Annabelle’s heart didn’t have the strength to keep working when it seemed like every day held a new heartbreak.
Annabelle pasted a smile on her face as she walked up the steps of the parsonage to greet the man so covered in grime she couldn’t make out his features. Probably a younger man, considering his hair was still dark. This place had a way of aging a person so that appearances could be deceiving. Two white eyes blinked at her.
Love Inspired Historical November 2014 Page 70